requests for proposals
Start with the States: 2021 (CLOSED)
Parity in State Legislatures: 2020 (CLOSED)
Increasing Gender Equality in U.S. Politics: 2020 (CLOSED)
Training & Recruiting Women to Run for Office: 2019 (CLOSED)
Expanding Women’s Civic and Political Engagement: 2018 (CLOSED)
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What we fund
We’ve seen firsthand how detrimental periodic or disparate efforts in this space have been—and we’re committed to bringing changemakers the funds they need to accelerate the pace of parity.
Examples of what we're funding right now:
INCREASING TRAINING CAPACITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
DEVELOPING CULTURALLY RELEVANT CURRICULUM AND RECRUITMENT PRACTICES
DEVELOPING MARKETING CAMPAIGNS TO HIGHLIGHT DIVERSE WOMEN LEADERS AND PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC OFFICE
grantmaking process
The Ascend Fund typically provides five- and six-figure general operating grants to partners implementing innovative strategies to recruit women to run for office and enhance their ability to win elections.
The Ascend Fund solicits proposals on an annual basis and in response to changing needs. While we complete rigorous due diligence on organizations we fund, our application process is streamlined to reduce the burden for prospective partners.
To maximize impact, the Ascend Fund works closely with all partners in our portfolio throughout the year. Partners must also complete grant reports twice a year and actively participate in a portfolio wide measurement, learning, and evaluation (MLE) process.